How much does it cost to get married in Singapore—a frank up-to-date look

It is Valentine’s Day tomorrow, So your man popped the question and you said yes, and, you’re getting married! Congratulations! You can look forward to what should be one of the happiest days of your life. And the adventure of a lifetime together to boot.

Let me say this right away. I believe that getting married can be either one of the most thrilling or one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. It really does depend on people’s attitudes. And that’s why it’s important to be prepared from the outset. This way, nothing can upset or catch you by surprise along the way.

Here’s something you probably already know by now: getting married in Singapore can be quite expensive. On average, weddings in Singapore cost between S$30,000 and S$50,000. This figure could go even higher, depending on how big your guest list is. Another factor is how high-end you want your wedding to be. But don’t worry about costs now. There really are surefire ways to economize, which we’ve talked about in the Savings Tactics To Cut Down Wedding Costs In Singapore

Also, it takes couples usually one to three years to financially prepare to get married. Now, this time could be shortened should either family decide to help pay for costs. If you and your partner decide on something smaller and more intimate, then the wait time won’t be too long either.

Having said that, this is your wedding. Therefore it’s a good thing to lay everything out on the table. Find out what you really want for your big day.

Talk it over and come to an agreement

And when I say “your wedding,” I mean “you” in the plural sense, as a couple. Why not see planning for your wedding as an important opportunity to strengthen your relationship.

We all know about the stereotypical picture of a “bridezilla.” She’s an ordinarily pleasant woman who turns into she-hulk when it comes to planning to get married. She’s dreamt about this special day ever since she was a little girl and she’s her heart set on every single detail. She wants this designer dress and those flowers that have to be imported and this number of carats on her engagement ring.

Trust me, you don’t want that to be your experience. Don’t buy into the glitz and glitter of what a wedding should be, according to what society dictates. Believe me, this is a recipe for the stress that you don’t need at the beginning of your lives together.

Instead, make sure you plan things together. Wedding planning is so much more fun when you do it side-by-side, as a team. Because, after all, you will have to agree on many aspects and details of your wedding. You’ll talk through what your budget for each item will be, and the who, when, why and how of it all. Might as well make it fun, right?

Say no to the stress and pressure of getting married!

How about deciding from the get-go that this whole wonderful wedding preparation process will be stress-free for you both? Agree that while you may not always want the same thing, you are willing to give and take because, at the end of the day, you chose to be with each other for the rest of your life.

Refuse to be pressured by anything and anyone. In the book, Crazy Rich Asians, one of the characters was so disappointed that one of her high society style icon wedding guests didn’t even bother to show up in a new dress. Now I know that the book pokes fun at the ultra-rich, and any sane person would scoff at the thought, but it’s a good example as to how much pressure we can let ourselves feel over the smallest, most trivial thing.

Refuse to be pressured by anything, I’m saying it again, including your families. It will help you tremendously as a couple. Personally, I think that if any couple can get through wedding preparations with grace and humour they’ll come out ready for marriage itself.

So, I suggest you break out a nice bottle of champagne, lean back on some comfy chairs, put on some soft music in the background as you talk about getting married.

Let’s break it all down

As you prepare to get married you will talk about…

The type of wedding you want. Church wedding? Small and simple at the Registry of Marriage? Destination wedding?

The guest list. Families only? Or do you want a bigger event when you get married, which your parents can invite others to?

The legwork. Will you have a wedding planner or will you be doing everything yourselves? In reality, wedding planners have a network of vendors that will offer them discounts. If you were to approach these vendors independently, the cost of it would be more expensive. More importantly, having someone organise your wedding will keep you stress-free and focus on the more important aspects such as looking good for your big day.”

Jewellry and dowry—talk it through, since you made have different expectations for getting married based on your family customs and traditions.

The honeymoon—Where, when and how long.

The essential elements of your wedding

As you talk through what you’d like to see happen on your big day, it’s good to keep in mind the essential elements of your wedding itself, as well as the price range for each one.

The Bridal Package — S$3,000 to S$6,000

The Wedding rings — S$2,000 to S$6,000

Dowry — S$500 to S$5,000

Solemnisation — S$1,000 to S$5,000

Wedding Photography & Videography — S$2,500 to S$4,000

Wedding Banquet—S$17,000 to S$ 39,000

Honeymoon — S$5,000 to S$8,000

Other miscellaneous costs — S$1,000 to S$2,000

To sum everything up, the total sum for getting married falls between S$ 32,000 and S$ 75,000. This may seem like a lot of money, but please don’t fail to take into consideration that your guests will help out. “Various forms of gifts from the wedding guests could come in handy.

Anna Maria Romero is the Deputy Director of Lifeline Foundation by day and a freelance writer by night. Lifeline Foundation’s advocacy includes empowerment through financial literacy, which is why she has written and taught on this subject on numerous occasions.
An educator by profession and training, Anna Maria graduated from the University of the Philippines, cum laude, and taught for more than two decades, having opened a school in 1995. She stepped down as as principal of South City Central School in 2015 in order to pursue a career in the non-profit sector.
She is a contributing writer to an online news site, and has been on the creative team of “This Journal Will Actually Change Someone’s Life” since 2008, which is published by FreeSpeech Publications in Manila, Philippines.
Anna Maria is a passionate advocate, volunteer, organizer, counselor, communicator, editor, and traveler, who’s always ready to pack up and go where she’s needed.